While interest rates are low many Australians are perhaps unsure where they can put their money to good use. After all, with inflation at 2.7% and some term deposits paying less, it's not like you have a choice!
What can you do? You have a couple of choices. The first of which is property but, as everyone knows, it requires a heck of a lot of management time and money. The other idea is to seek dividend income from the stock market.
But that's risky, right? Yep, it is. But with time on your side, history has proven the stock market is the best place to put your money. Despite the run-up in Australian property prices over the past two decades, the share market has outperformed it.
What can I buy? In short, almost anything. There's over 2,000 companies listed on the local share market and thousands more internationally. However, if you're new to the market, in my opinion, you can start with these three familiar companies:
Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd's (ASX: CCL) share price has recently been beaten-up by the market following a missed earnings guidance and continued pressure from international competitors in its SPC Ardmona business. Despite those concerns, when you ask yourself if Coca-Cola will be around in 10 years what will the answer be? Most likely, it is yes. So now could be the opportune time to jump into the stock and with a yield of 5.2% plus 75% franking, it's definitely smashing the return from term deposits.
The market darling for dividends is Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS). Its 5.6% payout has enabled it to become renowned throughout the land for being a one-stop dividend-stock. In addition, its growth prospects in Asia and continued dominance in Australia provide long-term sustainability for its share price and dividend payout.
The last name is probably not as well-known as Telstra's or Coca-Cola's on first glance, but many investors would be familiar with its services. Ardent Leisure Group (ASX: AAD) operates the theme parks Dreamworld and WhiteWater World and is the company responsible for AMF and Kingpin Bowling, Goodlife Health Clubs, and Main Event in the United States. It pays a 5.1% dividend which is likely to grow in the next two years.
Foolish takeaway
With property prices up and interest rates down, would-be investors are caught between a rock and a hard place. Perhaps now is the time to make a long-term commitment to growing your wealth via the Australian stock market.
